A Question of Great Importance

For the Muddler:

What's up with February being so short? Also, what's the dealio with leap years? Your sister and I were discussing it and realized we didn't know and thought you would be in possession of the knowledge.

Where'd you go, Joan Osborne?

One of my favourite CDs of all time is Joan Osborne's Relish and it occured to me the other day that she just completely fell off the map, didn't she? One wonders how someone with obvious talent can fade away into obscurity while the likes of Britney Spears just keep...on...coming...back. It blows the mind, man. If you ever get the chance to listen to the CD I highly recommend the tracks St Theresa, Dracula Moon, Ladder and Lumina. Good stuff.

Question

Does anyone know what it means when your eyeball is itchy? Mine has been bothering me all morning and there's nothing in there - I checked. Sooo...itchy.

So...Cold.

I heard on the radio this morning that with the windchill some places in Montreal feel like -45. Really though, what the hell is that? Not that I am an avocate of it or anything but when is global warming going to affect Canada and more specifically, here?

Excuse me while I go burn some fossil fuels.

HP: GOF - 03-07-06

You heard right, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is coming out on DVD next week. Although I do admit to being under-awed for the film I feel as though a second chance is definitely in the cards for this film. Another film that has piqued my curiosity is Walk the Line because I've always seen parallels between my life and that of Johnny Cash. Oh ok, not really but I do think Ring of Fire was written for me.

AG's Garlic Herb Fettuccini with Portobello Mushrooms

Here's the recipe you've all been waiting for:

1. Buy fettuccini, because it sucks to get home and to realize you forgot to buy the damned pasta.
2. Put said fettuccini in boiling water. Stir so it doesn't get stuck together because it's icky then it clumps together.
3. Oops, you should have probably started grilling your mushrooms by now. Hurry before the pasta's ready! Crap.
4. Take scissors to open the "Garlic and Herb" sauce from Knorr. Concentrate so you don't cut too much and most of the stuff falls out on to the floor. Be carefull not to sneeze either because then your dinner is gone in a puff of powder.
5. When you think your fettuccini is ready take a piece and throw it somewhere, preferrably on the ceiling. If it sticks then it's ready. Then wonder how your going to get the damned peace of pasta off the damned ceiling. It's ok to use profanity now.
6. Hopefully your portos are done by now. Turn your heat way down. No one likes burnt black fungus to eat.
7.Drain pasta and receive facial at the same time. N i c e. Put pasta back in pot. Put 3 tbsp of water in pot. Put 1 tbsp of veggie oil. Pour in Knorr stuff. Mix or fluff or whatever,
8. You can either put the pasta on the plate and put the portos on top or you can swish them in the pot with the pasta.
9. Ta-da, you're done!
10. Enjoy baby, enjoy.

Lunchtime Made Easy

For those of us who are just too plain lazy to make a wonderful lunch, may I suggest Campbell's Soup To-Go? It's easy, fast and pretty darn tasty.

Portobello Mushrooms...

... A fine substitute for meat. I think they are generally regarded as a "meaty" vegetable anyway but they are good and a great replacement for those of us who want to cut down on our meat and poultry intake.

Lookin' for a computer

I am looking for a new pc and since I am on a budget I am checking out all the different "sales" and "special offers" from various compy companies and I came across an add while watching tv and it seemed alright so I checked it out online. They have a few different models in my price range available and I thought "Why not?" so I chose one and waited for them to get back to me and after a couple of days they did and said that I was approved for financing so, you know, yay and all. However, before I signed anything I asked them to fax me the information and I would go over it (because it's not the same talking about it over the phone, I have to see in writing what I'm buying). It's a good thing I did because it turns out that even though I had signed up for a certain model online, the one I was ordering wasn't the same one AND it seemed more expensive too. Here's the deal, you have a choice with the company, either you don't have to pay anything for twelve months or you pay on a monthly basis but you obviously have to put a sort of deposit down before the ship the compy to you. Anyhoo, in eight weeks you pay them 624.00$ and then they deduct your account 60.00$ every month for the next two years. The total amount for the compy that I didn't necessarily pick out online is 2,064.00$, which seems like a lot for a compy they were advertising for 699.99$

I Love Rugby

More specifically, I love southern hemisphere rugby and I am pretty darn bummed that no network is showing any Super 14 games this year. It totally sucks and even though I can technically catch some of the matches online I don't have a good enough computer or connection to watch them. It indeed sucks to be me. I hate Fox Sportsworld for airing games in the past and getting me hooked and then leaving me high and dry. How will I know how my beloved Bulls are playing? Yes, it's true, I am a Blue Bulls fan. Shocking, I know. Anyhoo, I know that Expressvu Pay-per-View is offering Six Nations Rugby and Premiership Rugby but I am unfamiliar with the teams.

Seriously though, has anyone seen it?

Yes, after a long time on and off the online dating scene I am thinking that I am going write in big bold letters "HAS ANYONE SEEN MY SELF-RESPECT?"
I just don't know, I don't feel like making a "connection" right now and although it would be nice to hang with some dude on Saturday nights I am feeling my old reclusive tendencies sneeking up on me. I just want to sleep and hide, man.

Edited because I found a more apt headline. Apt, indeed.

I wish I was there

Aahh, the Cayman Islands. I've been to Grand Cayman and that was pretty sweet and after a month of this crappy weather I am letting my mind drift to sunnier locations.

I wish I had a Dobie

This dog reminds me of our old family pet Baron. He was my favourite dog in the whole wide world. He was a super Dobermann. I miss him.

I wish I had a Temple.

Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple compound in Indonesia, located in central Java, approximately 18 km east of Yogyakarta. It was built around 850 CE by either Rakai Pikatan, king of the second Mataram dynasty or Balitung Maha Sambu, during the Sanjaya dynasty. Not long after its construction, the temple was abandoned and began to deteriorate.
The reconstruction of the compound began in 1918, and is currently unfinished. The main building has only been completed in 1953, since it is next to impossible to find the original stonework, which has often been stolen and reused at remote construction sites. A temple will only be rebuilt if at least 75% of the original stones are available. Therefore, from most of the smaller shrines one can still see not much more than their foundation walls.
Today, it is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia. It is characterised by its tall and pointed architecture, typical for the hindu temple architecture, and by the 47m high central building inside a large complex of individual temples.

The Olympics Not So Boring Afterall

I've been busy with work so I haven't really had a chance to research Guy Candy. However, while watching the Olympics the other night I came across a definate candidate. His name is Jeremy Bloom and he was a competitor in the freestyle moguls.
He's an American... Sorry.

More Bali

Bali Bali Bali

Bali is an Indonesian island located at 8°25′23″S, 115°14′55″E, and one of the Lesser Sunda Islands. It is in a chain with Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is a popular tourist destination and, along with Java, known for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather and metalworking, and music, especially that played on the gamelan.
Bali lies 3.2 km east of Java and about 8 degrees south of the equator. It is 153 km long and 112 km wide (95 by 69 miles). Its surface area is 5,633 km². The highest point is Mount Agung, 3,142 m high (10,308 feet), an active volcano that last erupted in March 1963. Mountains range from the central to the eastern side, Mount Agung being the easternmost peak. Mount Batur, or what remains of it, is also still active. About 30,000 years ago it experienced a massive catastrophic eruption — one of the largest known volcanic events on Earth.
Bali is a richly diverse island of approximately 3.57 million people (2003 statistics).

Religion
Unlike most of Muslim-majority Indonesia, about 92% of Bali's population adheres to Balinese Hinduism, formed as a combination of existing local beliefs and Hindu influences from mainland Southeast Asia and South Asia. Minority religions include Islam (5.7%), Christianity (1.4%), and Buddhism (0.6%) (2003 statistics).
Language
Balinese and Indonesian are the most widely spoken languages in Bali, and many Balinese people are bilingual or even trilingual. English is a common third language owing to the island's large tourism industry.
Balinese is a rich and diverse language reflecting the population. In the past, the language was heavily influenced by the Balinese caste system, but this is becoming less and less pronounced.
Culture
Bali is famous for the arts, both the performing arts as well as painting, scuplture, and woodcarving. Balinese gamelan music is highly developed and varied. . Famous Balinese dances include Pendet, legong, baris (dance), topeng, barong, and many others.


Pretty place, just don't get killed by bombers.

AG's Found her Mojo!

Woohoo, finally the BloggerMojo.com network has been lauched! I told you all that I dreamed of total world domination and now I am one step closer to that goal. Mwahaha!!! It's brand-spankin' new so I don't know how many posts there will be for your viewing pleasure but rest assured you can find my rantings and enlightening posts on a couple of the sites. I have signed up for Flickmojo.com and Warmojo.com so keep an eye out for the utter brilliance that is me. I am and always shall be Angrygnome.

Black Toosday

Hey peeps, my dear friend over at Nefertitia's Loft has dubbed tomorrow "Black Tuesday" and I have taken a liking to the term to describe Valentine's Day so I am going to steal it for this post. Indeed, for those of us who are currently inhabiting the singledom world, the day isn't looked upon with glee as it tends to remind us of the fact that we are single. And alone. And living with cats... Oh God, oh God, oh God... Where are you Mr. Soulmate?
Despite the claims that relationships are "great" and "life-affirming" I sometimes wonder if indeed the grass is greener on the other side, you know what I mean?

Heaven on Earth is kind of stinky

Whatever you do do not look out your window right now because chances are, if you live in Montreal like me then you are currently witnessing a snowstorm. My suggestion is to look at your computer screen and read the following:

Pago Pago is the capital of American Samoa, a territory of the United States of America. Its 1990 population was 10,640. The city is located on Pago Pago Harbor, Tutuila. Tourism, government, and tuna canning are the primary industries. From 1878 to 1951, this was a coaling and repair station for the U.S. Navy.

A portion of the docks at Fagatogo in Pago Pago Harbor. In the background is the Rainmaker (Pioa Mtn.)
The city is an interesting mixture of a "seedy" urban area with infamously smelly tuna canneries (which provide employment for a third of the population of Tutuila), and a harbor surrounded by dramatic cliffs which plunge almost straight into the sea. A climb up to Mt Alava (see National Park of American Samoa) provides a magnificent bird's eye view of the harbor and town. Until 1980, one could experience the view from the peak by taking an aerial tramway over the harbor, but on April 14 of that year a US Navy plane, flying overhead as part of the Flag Day celebrations, struck the cable, the plane then crashing into a wing of the Rainmaker Hotel. The tram remains unusable to this day, although according to Lonely Planet, plans have been put forth to reopen it. Less spectacular, but worth the drive, is the view from the top of the pass above Aua Village on the road to Afono.
Pago Pago is actually but one of several villages along the shore of the harbor and is located at the very back (inside) of the embayment. However, because the name Pago Pago is associated with the harbor itself—the only significant port of call in American Samoa—Pago Pago is now generally applied to the harbor area and the capital. Thus, both the port itself and the legislature of American Samoa—known as the Fono (/ˈfoʊnoʊ/)—are located in Fagatogo, a village that is adjacent to (and for all practical purposes indistinguishable from) Pago Pago. Similarly, the once famous Rainmaker Hotel (now closed) is located in the village of Utule‘i, adjacent to Fagatogo along the south shore of the long harbor. The canneries are located in Atu‘u on the harbor north shore.